ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies some common components in parental involvement, briefly charts the growth of key areas and concepts and demonstrates that in service settings the link between research and practice is intimate and intricate. It begins by examining developments in parental involvement and some theoretical principles underlying examples in education and other settings. The chapter addresses some problems inherent in the definition of terms and considers the unique inter-relation of research and practice in the provision of services to families. It provides a 'broad brush' overview of current work in parent-professional co-operation. The chapter also demonstrates the association between research and practice in several selected areas, each of which illustrates the unprecedented extent of co-working between professionals as well as with other 'new' co-workers, the parents. The area of parental and community involvement is a particularly vital one at present in illustrating how research can be indivisible from practice.
